


where there's a will (there's a way)

by bananzer



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, But im adding the tags just in case, F/M, Female on Male Abuse, Fluff and Angst, I promise it is extremely vague, I would never go into detail on that stuff, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Past Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Single Parent AU, single dad Fili, single parent Fili
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22659289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananzer/pseuds/bananzer
Summary: Fili becomes a parent at age twenty one
Relationships: Fíli & Kíli (Tolkien), Kíli (Tolkien)/Tauriel (Hobbit Movies)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. Man (Relient K)

Fili becomes a father at age twenty one. It's two months before his birthday when his girlfriend tells him she's pregnant. He remembers being overjoyed. Meghan goes on and on about how good this will be for them, about how she always wanted a baby. (When she isn't screaming at him. Fili doesn't really mind the screaming, she was doing that before she got pregnant, anyway.) A year later, Fili finds himself the single dad of an infant boy, and in possession of an ex girlfriend who not only cheated on him, but also moved away to Europe with her new man.

So yeah, suffice to say, his road to single fatherhood isn't exactly easy. The baby, Will can't understand where his mom went, and Fili can't understand why'd she'd leave him when she said she loved him. And as the days pass, he starts to realize that maybe his relationship with Meghan wasn't exactly healthy for him and definitely wasn't a good place to raise a kid. That maybe having a girlfriend who analyzes your every move, who accuses you of cheating the second you come home late or she doesn't know where you are, who screams at you for every little mistake, who hits you, even though she says she loves you, isn't good. That maybe a woman who told you not to use a condom, who said she was on the pill when you expressed concern about her getting pregnant, who, Fili sees now, very clearly lies about such things, isn't the kind of person you want in your life, who you want to raise your child. In hindsight, these things all seem glaringly, stupidly obvious, but in the end, Fili really did love her, and maybe love really is blind. 

He has to give up a lot of things for his Will. Because it's just the two of them against the world for a good long time. He gives up friendships and dating and his college plans all for little Will, but he also can barely bring himself to care, because that's what you do for your kid.

And then, he gets the brilliant idea to go home, because he still has a home, and a mom, and an uncle, and a little brother (no dad, Dad died five years ago) who love him and will love Will, and maybe his family was something else Meghan took away from him. So Fili quits his shitty job at the cafe and cancels his lease and packs his kid and their whole life into his shitty, falling apart SUV and drives the twenty-two hours back home to his mom. (Travelling with a kid is hard, travelling with a baby is pure hell.) 

His family greets him with joy, it’s been almost a year since he’s spoken to them, and they immediately smother Will with affection. And the first time since Willie is born, Fili has time for a break. He has help. He has a family. He finishes his classes at the local college and works at his dad's old auto body shop when he's not at school or being a dad. Will's Auto was his dad's pride and joy, barely kept afloat by loyal customers and his mother's stubbornness. It's where Fili and his brother spent most of their childhood, and a place Fili had always dreamed of owning. So he pours his heart into it, like he pours his heart into everything he care about (like his son, like a woman who told him she loved him, but never did) and it's hard. It's so fucking hard. There's debt and there's blood and there's tears and theres also a whole heap of Durin stubbornness and eventually the years pass and Will grows up and the shop grows as well. And sure, Kili is still the same idiot Fili remembers him as and causes trouble, and Will turns out to be something else than strictly _normal_ (the school psychologist refers them to a specialist and one day they find out Will has Autism), and people always have things to say about being a single parent, but it's good. Life's good. 


	2. Johnny Boy (Twenty One Pilots)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> six years later

Fili doesn't think anything is wrong with Will at first. Sure, his son gets in the car and barely talks the whole way home, but that's not unusual. As an introverted child, Will is often left exhausted after school and needs time to himself to recover. Fili never denies him that, he remembers feeling that way as a kid in school, too. Will spends the afternoon in his room, until Fili calls him out to do his homework as he makes dinner.

"Dad," Will says. 

"Will," Fili replies. "What's up?"

"Am I retarded?" 

Fili nearly drops the kitchen knife on his foot when his son says that, and turns fully to face him. Will is sitting on the kitchen floor, his first grade homework sheet in front of him, a pencil in one hand, and a fidget toy in the other.

"No." Fili says, crouching down in front of him. "You aren't. Why do you ask?"

Will fidgets and looks away, clearly uncomfortable with the discussion. "Someone at school said I was."

"They did?"

"Yeah…" 

Fili sits down on the ground. "Who? Another kid?"

His son chews nervously on his pencil. "No. A grown up."

"A grown up? What, like a teacher? Did your teacher say that to you?!" Fili can feel his face starting to get hot like it always does when hes angry. He really, really wants to punch something. Preferably someone.

"No," Will says, "Mrs. Johnson wasn't there today. She had her baby last night the principal said. So we have a sub for the last month of school."

"Did the sub call you that?"

"Yeah."

"What happened, kiddo?"

Will looks down, his eyes filling with tears, and Fili immediately gathers him into his arms, pulling him onto his lap. "You can tell me, and then Dad will go down and fight whoever hurt you," he mumbles against Willie's blonde hair. "Promise."

The boy sniffles, rubbing at his eyes. "We had a pop quiz today an' I was playing with my fidget toy like Mrs. Johnson always lets me, and he came and took it!"

"Did you tell him Mrs. Johnson and you have an agreement?"

"Yeah! And he yelled at me for talking back!!!"

Will throws his arms around Fili's neck and sobs. "Its not fair!!! He threw it in the garbage!"

"'Course it's not fair," Fili says, stroking his back. 

"Then he made me stand in the hallway and ripped up my quiz and said 'stupid retarded kids bringing toys to school'!"

Fili holds his son as he sobs, feeling rather like he wants to cry himself. "I'm gonna bring you to school tomorrow and talk to your principal, okay?"

"Okay," Willie sniffles, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "You promise?"

"Cross my heart," Fili says, making the motion.

That reassurance relaxes his son, and the two of them finish the homework and eat dinner and Will climbs into bed.

"I got a new book from the library while you were at school," Fili says, sitting down on the edge of Will's bed. "Since we finished Percy Jackson."

"What book is it?" Will asks.

"It's one I remember reading as a kid and I remember really liking. I saw it on the shelf and had to pick it out." Fili pokes at Will with the book. "Scooch over, kiddo."

The boy does so and Fili leans against the pillows beside him. "This is called  _ Redwall _ . It was probably my favorite book."

Will leans his head against his dad's shoulder and looks with interest at the book. It's pretty thick, thicker than Percy Jackson, and it looks like it's kind of old. It has a mouse in a green robe holding a sword and a shield and Will decides to give it a chance.

"Okay," He says, "let's go."

Fili laughs and opens the book. " _ Redwall _ ," He reads, "by Brian Jacques…"

.

Not long after Will falls asleep, Fili gets a call from his mom while hes sitting at the kitchen table checking his email.

"I'm not sending Willie back to that school next year," Fili says, tapping his pen on the table in front of him. 

"Why?" Dis asks. “Did something happen?”

"I'm sick of him being bullied. You won’t believe what people say about him, and to him!”

“Kids are cruel, Philip,” his mom says, using his full name.

“If it was just kids, maybe I’d be less angry. But it’s adults, too. People who are supposed to protect him!” Fili tells his mom what Will told him earlier.

“He ripped up his quiz?!” Dis splutters, “He’s  _ six _ ! Who  _ does _ that?!”

“This substitute,” he says, “apparently. I’m looking at the email from the school right now.”

“About the incident?”

“No, the one telling parents about the sub. I didn’t have time to check my email today.” Fili rubs the back of his head. “Man, I wish I had seen this earlier. Will doesn’t do well with change like this. I could have warned him.”

“Hey,” Dis says, “Don’t worry about it too much, you can’t be perfect.”

“I know that, logically. But I just want to be. So bad. He depends on me.”   
“I know, sweetie.”

Fili sighs. “I’m going to bring Will to school tomorrow and talk with his principal. I was just about to call Kili and tell him I was gonna come in late.”

“Oh, he’s right here. You want me to tell him?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Fili finishes his call with his mom and cleans up around the apartment and goes to bed.

* * *

"I don't wanna go to school," Willie says during breakfast the next morning.

"You like school," Fili says, pouring him cereal. 

"I not when Mrs. Johnson isn't there," he replies around a mouthful of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. "I don't want the teacher to call me stupid again."

"Yeah, me neither," Fili tells him, pouring himself coffee. "But remember, I'm going to school with you to talk to him."

"Can you get me my fidget back?"

"Probably not. But you can bring a new one."

"What if he throws this one away, too?"

“Then I’ll talk to him about it.”

Fili walks over and strokes Will's blonde curls. "Go get dressed, kiddo, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

Will hops out of the car and trots over to Fili to take his hand. "What are you gonna say, Dad?"

"I don't know yet, kiddo," Fili says. 

"What if they think I'm lying?"

"Now, why would they think that? You're an honest kid."

* * *

"He's lying."

"Excuse me?" Fili says. 

"He's lying," Mr. Alfrid, the substitute reiterates. "I never said such a thing to him."

"My boy," Fili snarls. "Is not a liar. You ripped up his quiz and took his fidget toy, which he has permission from his teacher to use."

"Well, then he should have told me that."

"He told me he tried to, but you punished him for talking back."

"Is this true?" The principal asks.

The substitute teacher splutters wordlessly for a moment. "How was I supposed to know that? I deal with dozens of unruly children every day, how am I supposed to know who is allowed special treatment and who isn't?"

"Reasonable accommodations," Fili spits, "aren't special treatment."

"Tell that to the other kids."

Fili turns to Will, who's been slunk down in his chair behind him. "Do the other kids think its unfair to them that you get to use a fidget?"

Will shrugs. "I dunno. I don't really talk to them. I guess not."

"Are they mean to you because of your fidgets?"

"No."

"Mr. O'Turner," the principal says, "where is this line of questioning going?"

"I'm just trying to get a feel of what the classroom is like. On Will's IEP, part of it is allowing him to have a fidget to use in class to help him stay calm and on task, especially during tests and quizzes."

"IEP?" Mr. Alfrid asks.

"Individualized Education Program," the principal explains. "And yes, as I recall, that is part of Will's plan." He looks at Will. "Why don't we send him to class, though, school is about to start."

Will looks up at his dad, who nods at him. "Have a good day, kiddo," he says, bending over and kissing Will's head. "I'll pick you up after school."

"Okay. I love you, dad."

"I love you, too."

* * *

"Did you make the substitute be nice to me?" Will asks.

"Was he nice to you?" Dad asks.

"Nicer." Will buckles his seatbelt. "I don't think he's ever nice. But he didn't yell at me."

"Well," Dad says. "I suppose that's true. To be honest, I don't really like that school. I sent you there because it was the public school and it's the place most kids go, but… well…" he sighs. "I don't really like the way the other kids treat you. I want you to have friends."

"I don't need friends," Will says. "I've got you, Dad. And Kili, and Gran, and Uncle Thorin, and Uncle Frerin. And everyone else."

"Yeah," Dad says with a laugh, "you do, but you need friends your own age, too."

"Why?"

"Because you need people in your life, peers, who are going through the same things you are going through, who you can turn to for help. Also, it's just fun to have friends."

Will frowns. "I guess you're right. Does this mean I'm going to a different school?"

"Not this year. Next year. I've been looking into the smaller school, uh, Shire Academy. I think it might be a good fit for you. Smaller class sizes, so you don't have to be with as many people all day, and they are very open to kids like you, and seem willing to work with your accommodations."

"Wow, dad, you found all that out today?"

Dad laughs. "No, no. I've been looking around for a while. You think you can stick out a few more weeks here?"

"I think so," Will says.

"That's my boy." Dad holds his hand back so Will can give him a fist pound. "We're moving onto bigger and better things, my dude. Bigger and better things."


	3. Brother (Lord Huron)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will finds out about Fili and Kili's band

“What are you listening to, kiddo?” Fili asks. Will is sitting crosslegged on the ground, with headphones on, Kili’s iphone in his lap. He doesn’t respond, so Fili reaches down and tugs lightly at the top of the headphones. “Buddy?”

Will looks up at him, pausing the video. “Hi, Dad.”

“Are you holding up okay? Not too bored, right? We don’t have much longer, I’m almost done.”

“Okay!”

“What are you listening to?”

“Kili said you guys had a band when you were younger. He showed me your guys’ songs on YouTube.”

“Oh no,” Fili says.

“You guys were good! Why did you stop?”

“Uh, there was a conflict of interests.”

“What?”

“We had a big fight.”

“Why?”

“I don’t remember buddy, it was a long time ago.”

“How long?”

“I don’t know, something like ten years ago.”

* * *

_ ~Ten Years Earlier~ _

“What are you doing?" Kili asks, dropping his backpack down on the kitchen table. Fili doesn’t even bother to look up from his laptop.

"Take a wild guess."

"Homework?"

"College applications."

"Around here?"

"New York."

"What?! Why?”

“Because that’s where Meghan is applying.”

Kili makes a face. “Ugh.  _ Meghan _ .”

That makes Fili look up, and he fixes his younger brother with a glare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t like Meghan.”

“Yeah? Well, it’s a good thing  _ I’m _ dating her, and not you.”

Kili crosses his arms over his chest, glaring down at his brother, looking much too petulant for his fifteen years. “You don’t have time for me anymore since you started dating her! She always has to come along to everything, and now you’re gonna move away to go to college with her?! What about me?”

“What about you?” Fili says callously, “my life doesn’t have to revolve around you, you know.”

“Oh, but it can revolve around your girlfriend, huh?”

“God, shut up! Don’t you have homework or a hobby you can do instead of distracting me?”

“I mean, I thought we were gonna practice tonight, but you’re clearly too busy.”

“Clearly. Get lost.”

Kili huffs and gets lost, stomping up the stairs, and Fili hears a bedroom door slam shut, the whine of an amp turning on, and then the house is filled with discordant guitar chords. Fili glares at the ceiling. What a brat. He works for another fifteen minutes, but Kili’s jamming only gets louder until the windows are practically vibrating in their sills. 

“SHUT UP!!!!!” Fili roars, slamming Kili’s bedroom door open. His brother spins around on his desk stool, guitar still on his knee, and makes direct eye contact with him and strums another obnoxious chord. “Are you kidding me?” Fili splutters. “Shut up! I’m trying to work!”

“You aren’t my dad,” Kili says.

“Yeah, if I were Dad, I would have smashed that stupid guitar by now!”

Kili jumps up. “Shut up! Dad liked my playing!”

“No one likes your playing, Kili,” Fili says, knowing perfectly well he’s going too far, and also far too angry to stop. “They’re just being nice.”

“Shut the fuck up!” Kili shouts, “Get out of my room!” He storms over and slams the door in Fili’s face. 

Fili kicks the bottom of the door, mumbling rude things under his breath, and wanders back downstairs.

Mom doesn’t get home until the sun has set. Fili is still at the kitchen table, doing homework now (meaning he’s texting Meghan with his math textbook open in front of him) and eating cereal. It’s quiet upstairs, Kili hasn’t touched his guitar in hours, nor has he emerged from his room. 

“Where’s your brother?” Dis asks, affectionately ruffling Fili’s hair and bending to kiss his head. 

“In his room.”

She sighs. “Again? It’s been almost a year since…” she trails off. “I thought he was back to normal. He went to school, right?”

“Yeah,” Fili says, reluctant to tell his mom that it’s his fault Kili has holed himself up again. “He even went out with friends after classes.”

“That’s good! He’s acting more like himself, then. What happened between then and now?”

Fili shrugs one shoulder noncommitedly. “I dunno. I’m not his dad.”

“Fili,” Dis says, sitting down beside him at the table. “What happened?”

He looks away from her. “He thinks he can dictate where I go to college, now. He hates my girlfriend, hates that I play sports, hates that I have friends other than him… he needs to realize that my life doesn’t revolve around him and his happiness.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Dis murmurs, “he’s just scared of losing you like we lost Dad.”

Fili blows out a breath. “What, so I can’t go to college on the off chance I’ll  _ die _ or something? That’s not fair!”

“Of course not, love, but you know how Kili is. He’s just clinging to you because he needs stability. He needs a constant.”

“Can’t he cling to you? Or Thorin? Or Frerin? Or literally  _ anyone else _ ?”

“Well, a fifteen year old boy is hardly going to want to tell all the things he’s feeling to his mom, and Thorin is gone all the time, and Frerin… well… he’s not exactly fit for being a dad.”

“Neither am I! I’m seventeen! I have my own damn life! I don’t want to spend it fathering my little brother!”

“You don’t have to father him, Fili. Just be there for him.”

“Well,” Fili glares. “Maybe I don’t want to. I lost my dad, too, you know!” He stands with a jerk, gathering his homework into his arms and storming up to his room.

.

The next day dawns annoyingly bright, and Fili goes to school alone. Kili still hasn’t emerged from his room, and he can’t quite bring himself to care, still simmering with resentment. There’s a baseball game that night, and they crush the opposing team, and Kili isn’t in the bleachers, and Fili  _ almost _ misses him. Only it's hard to miss your little brother when you have a very pretty girlfriend cheering for you instead. 

.

Three months later, Fili graduates summa cum laude from high school, the top of his class and earns a baseball scholarship to a college in New York, the same college Meghan has chosen for herself. The two of them spend long nights that summer, planning their futures, away from families and responsibilities, doing their own things and becoming their own people. And Fili barely spends any time at all with Kili, and he feels far less guilty than he should. It all comes to a head one day in August.

.

"Fili!" Kili slams open his brother's bedroom door. "Wake up! Guess what?!"

Fili groans and rolls over, glaring at his brother. "What?"

"Guess!" Kili cries, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet like an excited puppy. "Guess! Guess!"

The older brother sighs, covering his face. "I don't know, Kili, what?"

"I got us a gig!" Kili blurts, "well, potentially. Maybe. They'll pay us and everything, like I showed them the recordings we made last summer and they liked it enough to pay us!"

"A gig? For what? Who?"

"Bombur! At his cafe! You know how he dies live music sometimes! I asked him and he said we could play for their music night next month! Isn't that awesome! We're like, a real band now! With fans and things!"

Fili puts his head in his hands. "Kili, I'm leaving for college at the end of this week."

Kili stops moving. "Since when?"

"Since always! Me and Meghan planned this ages ago, we're heading out on Friday! I can't be here for your 'gig'. I have a  _ life _ !"

"Were you ever going to tell me? Or were you just gonna leave and never come home?"

"I told you, you didn't listen! Now you're guilting me!"

"You  _ didn't _ tell me! You're just going! Just like everyone else! What about our band?"

"What about it? It's not even a real band! It's not like we're going to be famous or anything!"

"We could if you  _ practiced  _ once and a while!"

"Oh, so it's  _ my _ fault?"

"Yeah! You always have something going on! Like a game or homework or a date! You never spend time with me anymore!”

“I have a  _ life _ , Kili, one that doesn’t revolve around my fifteen year old brother and his inability to make friends beside me!”

“Shut up! I have friends!”

“So hang out with them! Have them be in your band! It was your idea, anyway.”

“I don’t want them to be in our band! It’s ours!”

“Says who? I’m sure Frerin would be happy to take my place!”

“I just want something to share with my brother!” Kili shouts. “Just me and you! I don’t want Frerin to be in it! I want you to!”

“Well, maybe I don’t want to be in the band anymore!” Fili snaps.

“But Dad said…”

“Dad said what?”

“He said we should start a band! It was his idea! Not mine!”

“Yeah, he did, but he’s gone now. I don’t want to be in your band and I don’t want to be your replacement for Dad!”

Kili’s face screws up. “You can’t replace Dad. Dad actually cared about me. Unlike you.”

“Yeah,” Fili says sarcastically, “you got me! I hate you! I always have!” He spits the last part out with a bit more vehemence and sincerity than he means to and Kili catches it, his brown eyes filling with tears. “Oh, you’re gonna cry now?” Fili spits, “real mature.”

“I hate you!” Kili yells. “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! I never want to see you again!”

“Fine! Me neither!”

“Fine!”

Kili slams the door with a thundering crash and Fili flops back against his pillows, covering his eyes. The back door slams with the same vigor as his bedroom door, and peering out the window he spies Kili sprint across the backyard, hop the fence, and disappear into the woods. There’s a telltale painful burning in the back of Fili’s throat, the kind he always shoves way down because he hates crying so much. Because if he cries he won’t stop. He grabs a shoe off the ground and throws it across the room as hard as he can. It hits his trophy shelf and knocks a few down with a loud clatter.

Fili and Kili don’t talk for the rest of the week. They avoid each other like the plague, and Dis is far too stressed with bills and keeping the garage afloat that she barely even notices. On Friday, Meghan and her parents show up bright and early, and Fili and Frerin load his stuff into the uhaul they rented. Uncle Frerin and Mom are there to see him off, but Thorin is travelling again.

“Where’s your brother?” Meghan asks, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder. Fili shrugs. 

“I dunno.”

“He finally stopped following you around? He’s so needy. It’s a good thing he’s cute.”

Fili fixes her a glare, and she giggles, pressing a kiss to his lips. “Don’t worry, you’re my favorite.”

Dis comes out then, before things get any more interesting, with a soft sided cooler. “I packed you two snacks for the road. I know you guys bought some, too, but this is like sandwiches, so you have actual food. I feel bad I can’t do more

“Don’t worry about it,” Meghan’s dad says, taking the cooler from her. “It’s really no trouble, we were going there anyway and it’s good to have another driver, too.”

“I’d offer to come,” Dis tells them, “but I’m so busy now, and my job…”

Meghan’s mom, a chubby, sweet little woman, laughs and waves her hand. “Oh, don’t worry, hon, it’s no trouble at all. Your position isn’t easy, we’ll see Fili safely there.”

“I’m so glad you two are coming with. When Fili first proposed this idea to me, I was wary. Two eighteen year olds taking a cross country road trip? Fili’s awfully responsible, but he’s not  _ that _ responsible, you know?”

“I dunno, I think he’d be fine,” Frerin says, knocking Fili’s shoulder with his. “He’d probably only hit a few pedestrians.”

Meghan’s mom laughs again. Fili zones out of the conversation, glancing up absently towards Kili’s bedroom window. He catches sight of his brother’s too long brown hair as he turns away, and debates going up there to say goodbye. To apologize. But then Meghan wraps her arms around his waist and rests her chin on his shoulder and he gets distracted.

They all load into the car, Fili giving his mom one last hug. She reaches up and cups his face. “Be smart, and be safe,” she tell him. “I love you to the moon and back, okay?”

“Okay. I love you, too.”

“Make sure you call me when you arrive safely, okay? And text me if anything goes wrong. If you need to come home, you can, I’ll buy you a plane ticket, no questions asked. I promise.”

“Mom, I’m not gonna make you buy me a plane ticket if I get homesick or something, geez. And I won’t get in trouble. What, do you think I’ll turn into a partier and call you in a few months because I got pregnant or something?”

Dis swats him lightly. “Don’t be ridiculous. Get gone.”

Fili laughs, hugs his mom and uncle one last time, and climbs into the back seat beside Megan. He leans out the window to wave as they pull out of the driveway, looking up to the Kili’s window, just in case. It’s empty, and Fili is left with that burning feeling in the back of his throat once again.

* * *

_ ~Present Day~ _

“Fili!” Kili sprints into the Garage, leaping over Will, who’s seated on the ground near the door, still using his phone to listen to music. Fili looks up from the guts of a chevy truck. 

“Yeah?”

“We got a gig!”

“A gig?”

“Yeah!”

“What’s a gig?” Will asks, wandering over and handing Kili back his iPhone. Kili pockets it, putting his hand on the boy’s head and wobbling him around. “A gig is a live performance for a band.”

Wili giggles, grabbing Kili’s hand. “Like a concert?”

“Yeah, kinda.”

Fili frowns. “I’m sorry, Kili, I’m not following you. At all.”

“I was just talking to Bombur. You know how they have those music nights at his cafe?”

“Yeah, I’m aware.”

“Well, the band for this week’s fell through, and they already have things all planned and they need a band to play and he asked if we could.”

“We haven’t played for an audience in years, though,” Fili says nervously. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“C’mon,” Kili wheedles. “It’ll be fun. Mostly just people around town, people we know. It’s highly unlikely we’re gonna be laughed off stage. You can play your cajon and I’ll play my guitar and sing. Like old times.”

“C’mon, Dad!” Will says excitedly, “You’ve gotta! I want to see you play!”

Fili looks down at Will, then at Kili, the both of their brown eyes wide and hopeful, and sighs. “I’m gonna regret this, but fine. Fine.”

Kili whoops excitedly, scooping Will into his arms and spinning him around. “You hear that, little guy? Your dad and I are a real band now!”

Frerin pops his head out the the office. “Hey! Kili! Get to work! I don’t pay you to mess around!”

“You don’t pay me regardless!” Kili laughs, setting Will down and jogging over to his uncle. “Guess what?”

Will reaches over and takes Fili’s hand. “Can I come to the gig?” he asks.

“We’ll see, kiddo,” Fili says. “We’ll see.”


	4. Mrs. Hippopotamuses' (Relient K)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gig

"I've got a list of songs we can cover," Kili says, dropping down on one of the kitchen chairs. "I think you know them, but I'm not sure." He slides his phone across to his brother.

“We’ve played them before, right?” Fili says, scrolling through the songs, “You know we can’t just start on songs we don’t know.”

Kili rolls his eyes. “Yes, Fili, I’m absolutely stupid and have no idea how music works.”

Will, who’s sitting at the table beside him, giggles. His uncle reaches over and ruffles his hair. “Doing homework?” 

Will nods. “Yeah. Next week is my last week of school. But we still have homework. It’s stupid.”

“That  _ is _ stupid.”

Kili stretches his arm behind his chair and leans over, peering at Will’s homework. “So, what torture are you learning today?”

“Money values,” Will says. 

“Ah,” Kili says, “Capitalism. The bane of our existence.”

“What?” Will asks, laughing. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t make my son a communist, Kili,” Fili says, passing his brother back his phone. 

“What’s a comminist?”    
“Communist, son.”

“Oh. What’s that?”

“Its…” Fili starts, then pauses, grappling with how to explain communism to a six year old. “Uh…”

“Do you not know, Dad? You can look it up.”

“I know what it means, I just don’t know how to explain it to you. Its… well, it’s a form of government made up by a guy called Karl Marx.”

“Oh, okay,” Will says, going back to his homework. 

“Isn’t it technically a form of economics?” Kili asks. Fili shrugs. 

“I dunno, man, either way, it killed something like a hundred million people.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah, something like that. It was a lot. I think that’s why Grandma left Russia.”

“Which Grandma?”

“Dad’s mom.”

“Your Grandma or mine, Dad?” Will asks.    
“Mine and Kili’s, buddy. You almost done with your homework?”

“Yeah. Can I watch you and Kili practice?”

“Of course you can.”

Kili gets up. “I’m gonna go get my guitar. I left it in the living room.”

“Okay,” Fili says, leaning over the table to look over Will’s homework. Will slides it over to him so it can be read more easily. “You’re good, Will. Go put this in your backpack.”

.

Friday comes and sees Kili, Fili, and Will heading off to Bombur's cafe. The restaurant is a cafe until three PM, and after that it becomes a bar and grill with live music every week. Bombur runs it during the day, and his brother, Bofur, runs it during the night and evening, to give the former time with his wife and three kids.

After they pull in and park, Will clambers out of the car and dashes around to Fili's door. He drags it open and hops up and down. "Can you carry me, Dad?" He asks, flapping his hands excitedly. 

"Yeah," Fili says, stepping out and picking him up and putting him up on his shoulders. "Kili, can you bring my cajon? It's in the trunk."

"Why do I have to?" Kili splutters.

Fili grabs hold of Will's ankles. "My hands are full."

Kili grumbles, but grabs both instruments. 

The bar/cafe is teeming with people already, typical of a Friday evening. Bofur meets them at the door.

"You know," he says, looking up at Will. "Technically kids aren't allowed in here past 8:00 PM."

Will sticks his tongue out at Bofur.

"C'mon," Fili wheedles, "he's my emotional support son."

"Emotional support son?"

"Yes. I need him. He's here to cheer me on."

"Is someone gonna watch him? I like Will fine, but I'm gonna be bartending, I can't keep an eye on him."

"I know, my mom is coming. And Frerin. They'll watch him."

"Well, alright then, I guess. You guys can set up over there." He points toward a slightly raised platform with a microphone in the far corner. "Thanks for doing this."

Kili shoots him a thumbs up. "No problem, man. C'mon, Fee."

They weave through the crowd, setting down their instruments. 

"Dad!" Will cries, pointing. "Is that Uncle Thorin?"

Fili turns, scanning the crowd. He spots a familiar shock of gray-streaked black hair. "I think so, buddy. You wanna go say hi to him?"

"Yeah!"

"All right, let's go. You coming, Kili?"

"I'll be around in a bit," Kili says, focused on tuning his guitar.

"Okay."

Fili moves back through the crowd, stopping beside his uncle. "Hey," he says, "I didn't know you were in town."

Thorin turns and offers them a rare smile. "Just for a few days. I have a meeting in Paris on Monday that I have to fly out for. Your mother told me about your little gig and I had to come."

"Ah, so the whole family is gonna see Kili and I embarrass ourselves. Fantastic."

Thorin snorts. 

"Did you bring me a souvenir?" Will blurts, reaching down for his great uncle. Thorin lifts him down and sits him on his lap. 

"Will," Fili chides gently.

"What?"

Thorin chuckles lowly. "What sort of souvenir were you looking for?"

"I dunno. A cool one? I like it when you bring me museum guidebooks. I like to plan out trips for when I'm big."

"Hm. So that's what you do with them."

"Yup! Right, Dad?"

"Right."

"Well, I didn't bring you any museum guidebooks this time, but I'll make sure to pick you up one from the Louvre when I'm in Paris, how's that?"

Will makes the 'okay' symbol with his hand. "Fantabulous!"

"Where'd you learn that?"

"TV!"

"You're a bit of a strange one, Will," Thorin says fondly.

"You like me though, right?"

"Yep. Strange is good."

Will beams. 

"Now," Thorin says, "about that souvenir. There's something in the left pocket of my jacket with your name on it."

Will gasps delightedly and jumps down, circling around the back of Thorin's chair to dig in the pockets of the light jacket slung over the back of his chair.

"You're gonna spoil him," Fili says, leaning on his hands on the table before him. Thorin sips his drink, smile lines crinkling around his blue eyes.

"What are grandpa's for?"

"You aren't his grandpa, though."

"I'm close enough."

"Whoa!" Will shouts, having discovered his prize. "Dad, look!"

"What did you find, buddy?" Fili asks. His son hurries over to him, something clutched in his hands. 

"This is it, right Uncle?" Will holds up a small leather bound notebook, about the size of an adult man's hand. Thorin nods. 

"That's it."

The boy laughs excitedly, jumping up and down. 

"What do you say, kiddo?" Fili prompts gently. 

"Thank you!" Will blurts, hugging his great uncle, "thank you!"

"You're welcome, Will," Thorin says, ruffling his hair. 

Will scrambles back up into his lap, flipping through the notebook. "You know," he says, "this doesn't have my name on it, though."

"That was a figure of speech," Fili explains. 

"What's a figure of speech?" Kili asks, walking up. "Hi, Thorin."

"Hey, Kili."

"Thorin said the notebook had my name on it," Will says, "but it didn't really."

"I see. Fili, we should start soon."

"Okay,” Fili looks down at Will. “Buddy, do you remember what we talked about?”

Will looks up from admiring his new notebook. “Yeah.”

“Can you tell me? Just so I know?”

He nods. “I have to stay by Gran, and when she says we have to go I can’t whine about it.”

“Good. And what else?”

“If I feel overwhelmed and want to leave, I can tell Gran, but I have to be patient because I can’t expect her to drop everything, but she’ll do her best.”

“Good job. Thorin, can you keep an eye on him until Mom shows up?”

Thorin nods. “Gladly.”

"Okay. See you soon, Will."

"Good luck, Dad!"

"Thanks, buddy."

Fili ruffles Will's hair one last time. "Come on, Kili."

"Hi," Kili says, "we're Fili and Kili O'Turner, and we'll be playing for you tonight."

"What's your band name?!" Bofur calls from the back of the room. Kili leans in close to the mic.

"We don't have one. We didn't think we'd get this far."

"Fili and the Boys!" Fili shouts.

"Who's the other boy?" Someone calls.

Fili points to the boxlike instrument he's sitting on. "The cajon!"

That brings a ripple of laughter through the crowd. "Yeah, we're not naming ourselves Fili and the Boys," Kili says. 

"We're just two brothers and a cajon," Fili says.

"Okay, that's our name, Two Brothers and a Cajon," Kili says. "And we're covering a variety of songs! Thanks for listening and please don't laugh us out of town my brother has a kid to feed. Alright!"

.

It goes well. Really well. Fili keeps his head down so he doesn't have to look at the crowd (it's not like that many people are watching them, most are talking with friends or playing pool or drinking, and Fili is find with that). Once and a while he looks up and sees a few people consistently watching them: their family and a tall, pretty redhead in a gaggle of other friends. (The redhead is watching Kili, mainly). They play for an hour and a half before deciding to call it quits. Bofur comes over and thanks them as they pack up.

“You two really pulled us out of a bind,” He says. 

Kili grins. “If you want to book us again, we’re available.”

“Yeah, but give us more warning next time,” Fili adds.

“Why?” Bofur teases, “It’s not like  _ you’re _ doing anything on a Friday night, Fili.”

Kili barks out a laugh. 

“Okay, damn,” Fili mumbles, “just scalp me next time. Holy shit.”

“‘Ey! Bofur!” Someone yells, “get back here and top me off!”

“Would you wait a moment, Nori? Geez!” Bofur turns back to Fili and Kili. “I’ve got to go. I’ll let you guys know if I need you again. You can have free drinks the rest of the night.” He waves and returns to the bar.

“Ooh, free drinks,” Kili says excitedly.

"I'm heading out," Fili says. 

"No, no you aren't," his brother replies, slinging his arm around his neck. "Come on, get a drink with me."

"I can't. I'm driving."

"One drink. Just one. C’mon.”

Fili caves. He does need to spend more time with his brother, anyway. "Okay, I need to be home by 10, though."

"Fine by me. We have half an hour." Kili drags him over to the bar and orders two beers on tap. 

It’s good to spend time with Kili over a drink, talking about life, about things they can’t talk about around others.

"When was the last time you got laid?" Kili asks. Fili frowns, scratching his chin. 

"Uhm… awhile. Half a year maybe?"

Kili chokes on his drink. "Seriously?"

"What? Having a kid really compromises my chances!"

"When was the last time you went on a date?"

"About the same time. I went out a few times with this chick who came in for an oil change."

"You asked out a customer?"

"No, she asked me out."

"And you went?"

"She was cute. We hooked up a few times. Then I found out she had a boyfriend."

Kili chokes again on his drink, and Fili thumps his back. "Don't die, man," he says.

"She used you… to cheat on her boyfriend?" He asks.

Fili tosses up a half-hearted peace sign. "Yup."

"Oh man, you have the worst trouble with girls," Kili sighs.

"Eh, if they don't like kids, they aren't worth my time. The only women I'm interested in are ones who are willing to be moms. Or at least are willing to consider the possibility. There aren't a lot of women… or people in general, who are willing to have a serious relationship with a single parent. We bring baggage."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Do you think Will needs a mom?"

"I'd like him to have one. And I'd like to have a wife. But like I said, it's hard to date with a kid."

"Yeah, I can imagine…" Kili trails off, his eyes fixed on something beyond Fili.

"What?" Fili asks.

"What?"

"What are you looking at?" Fili turns around to scan the crowd, following his line of sight. 

"Her." Kili says, gesturing towards the tall, leggy redhead Fili had noticed earlier. She’s standing beside the pool table, her head thrown back in laugh.

Fili raises an eyebrow. "Are you gonna go talk to her?"

Kili shrugs. "Should I?"

"I think you should. She was watching you, you know.

“Really?”

“Really. I have to head out, anyway. Go.”

"Okay," Kili says, slamming back the rest of his beer. "Alright."

"You need a ride?"

"Nah," he hops off his stool. "I'll catch an uber. See you."

Fili laughs at his brother's starstruck expression and turns back to his own drink. 

Kili weaves his way through the crowd and catches the red head's eye. She's tall. Taller than him by at least four inches, and he doesn't mind in the slightest, because up close she is even more beautiful. He grins at her.

"Hi."

"Hi!" She replies, "you guys played really well tonight! I really enjoyed it."

"You did?" He asks, his voice cracking just a little. He clears his throat. "You did? Cool! Cool. I'm glad. Yeah. That's awesome. Uh. I'm Kili."

She smiles. "I know."

"Oh. Heh. We introduced ourselves earlier, didn't we?"

"You did. I'm Tauriel."

"It's nice to meet you. Can I buy you a drink? Unless you're here with someone else, then I can fuck right off."

She laughs. Even her laugh is pretty. "I'm not here with anyone. I'd like that."

Kili can't help a little bounce of joy on the balls of his feet. "Cool!" 

He leads her over to the bar. She orders a cosmopolitan and he orders and old fashioned, and they sit on bar stools regarding each other for awhile, making small talk. Kili feels utterly tongue tied in her presence at first, but fights past it. She turns out to be surprisingly easy to talk to, quick-witted and sharp tongued, and he feels even more silly. But she's smiling at him and laughing at his jokes. So that's a bonus. She's wearing a very interesting necklace, a teardrop shaped pendant resting on her collarbone and Kili is trying to figure out how to ask her about it.

"I swear I'm not staring at your boobs," Kili blurts, realizing what he's doing, "I'm just trying to get a better look at your necklace. It's pretty."

Tauriel laughs softly, and takes it off, holding it out for him to inspect. Kili takes it gingerly, holding the white stone up to the light. It shimmers silver and blue. 

"Whoa," he breathes. "That's so cool. What kind of rock is this?"

"Crystal," she corrects gently. "It's moonstone."

"Crystal, huh?" He says, "do you believe in that stuff?"

She blushes. "Yeah."

"Don't be ashamed!" He says hurriedly. "There's nothing wrong with it! I'm just not a very spiritual person myself. So." He returns the necklace to her by draping it back over her head. "What's moonstone supposed to do for you? Open your third eye?"

Tauriel laughs softly again, playing idly with the pendant. "You aren't far off, exactly."

"Oh, so if I wear that I can like, see time or something? That'd be cool."

"No, nothing like that. It's just the chakra it's associated with. The third eye chakra and the solar plexus chakra."

"Oh! Chakras!" Kili says, "I know about chakras. From Avatar: The Last Airbender. Does this mean you're the avatar?"

"Yes," she giggles, "I'm on my quest to master the elements. I came here today searching for my water bending master."

"Ah, too bad, that. I can't help you with that I can barely swim."

"Really? That's not very safe!"

"I never got the hang of it. I hit the water and sink like a rock. Just  _ glub glub glub _ . Hey? Where'd Kili go? Oh, he drowned."

"No!" She gasps, "don't say that! Don't drown!"

"I won't, luckily, I even avoid bathtubs, I am a shower only kind of guy."

"Oh, I love baths. They're the best. You can't go wrong with a good bubble bath. Some bathbombs maybe. A few scented candles. Classical music playing. Man. That's the dream. Perfect after a long day of work."

"I'd say the picture you painted sounded great if I wasn't so prone to death by drowning. What do you do for a job?"

"I'm a nurse. I work in the ER over at Central."

"Really. I haven't seen you there!"

"I just transferred out of school, so you wouldn't. Wait, the way you phrased that sounds like you spend a good amount of time in the emergency room. You don't, do you?"

Kili rubs the back of his head self-consciously. "I am not joking, unfortunately. I'm what people call accident prone."

"How accident prone?"

"Well, last month I dropped a toolbox on my foot and broke two toes. So, if you saw me limping, that's why."

"How often does stuff like that happen?"

Kili leans on his elbow. "You'd be surprised."

He doesn't notice the time passing as he tells her of the multiple stupid injuries hes gotten, both in childhood and more recently. She shares her own scrapes and childhood stories, and it turns out that they both have some similar interests. Archery being one of them. They're conversation is interrupted by Bofur leaning over the bar.

"You guys," he says, "it's late. I'm trying to close."

Kili jumps, looking around and realized the bar is pretty much empty. He rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Oops."

Tauriel laughs. "I guess we lost track of time, huh?"

"Yeah," he grins up at her. "Want to get out of here?"

"I'd like that," she says, "I'd really like that."

Kili's grin grows impossibly wide and he tosses a few crumpled bills on the counter as a tip and hops down, holding his hand out to Tauriel. She takes it. Her hand is slim and lightly calloused in his, warm and he decides he never wants to let go. He's a little tipsy (maybe a little more than a little, he's never been good at holding his alcohol) and so is she, leaning against him, all long limbs and soft melodious laughs.

"I'll call two ubers," he says as they step into the warm early summer night. The stars above them are shining valiantly through the city lights.

"You don't have to do that, Kili," she says, "I can call my own."

"Trust me," he says, "I don't mind." He keeps one arm around her slim waist as he pulls up the app. She rests her head on his, stroking her hand through his too long hair. 

"You're a real gentleman, you know that?" She says.

Kili blushes. "You think so?"

"Mhmm. Not a lot of decent guys around, let alone gentlemen."

"Yeah? Well, my mama raised me right."

She giggles, curling a lock of his hair around her finger. "Hey, are you busy tomorrow night?"

"I'm not. Why?"

"Because I'd like to take you out to dinner and drinks."

"Really?" He says.

"Really."

"I'd be happy to join you," he grins, "but I have to admit, you beat me to the punch on that."

"Were you gonna ask me out?"

"I was."

She laughs again, pulling back to take his face in her hands. "I like you a lot, Kili," she tells him, and his heart leaps.

"I really like you, too," he breathes. God, he hopes she kisses him. Before hes fully realized that thought, she bends and presses a kiss to his lips and his heart leaps. He kisses back enthusiastically, his hands on her hips, and they stand there wrapped up in each other until the ubers show up.

"I'll see you tomorrow night," she murmurs, pulling back from him.

"Yeah," he says, feeling all dazed and tingly from her kiss (maybe part of it's the alcohol, but he's not thinking about semantics). 

"Oh!" She gasps, "you need my number!"

"That would be important," he laughs, pulling up the contacts on his phone. He takes hers when she hands it to him and puts his number in.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," she says.

"Yeah," he replies, "tomorrow."

She smiles at him and slides into the Uber. "Bye."

"Bye."

Kili watches the uber drive off for a moment, and then hops up and down, fistpumping enthusiastically. He lets out a loud whoop, feeling at the absolute top of the world. 


End file.
